


Warm Lullabies

by Anake14



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underlust (Undertale), Asexual/Pansexual Relationship but not really, Chancetale Sans, Dreamtale Nightmare Sans (Undertale), Dreamtale Sans | Dream (Undertale), Fandom Noncompliant with many Aus probably, Gaster Papyrus (mentioned) - Freeform, Gaster Sans (Undertale), Gen, Horrortale Papyrus (Undertale) mentioned, Horrortale Sans (Undertale) mentioned, I made these tags as I wrote, It might just be bromance but could be romance, M/M, Mention of Nonbinary Ace Frisk and Chara, Mentions of the other Sans and Papyrus AUs, Other, Sexuality Explorations (kinda?), Slow burn (the slowest because I swear…), Underfell Papyrus (Undertale), Underfell Sans (Undertale), Underlust Papyrus (Undertale), Underlust Sans (Undertale), Underswap Papyrus (Undertale), Underswap Sans (Undertale), other AUs mentioned that I honestly can’t name because it’s 2 AM and I need help
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:54:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26746210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anake14/pseuds/Anake14
Summary: Of all the things anyone in UnderLust could hope for change wasn't one of them. They were too far gone in their ways. When Lust and his brother end up on the surface...well, it's a lot harder than Sans thought it would be.Especially since it's not theirs. Even the moniker Lust was pissing him off, but somehow the Gaster brothers appeared to be the only tolerable skeletons in the lot. What a strange and intriguing set of circumstances bringing so many versions together like this. It could only be fate, right?
Relationships: Lust/G?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	Warm Lullabies

**Author's Note:**

> Many of these characters are not mine and belong to the respective creators of their AUs, including Nightmare and Dream Sans who belong to Joku. Anselma actually is mine, I’ve yet to really decide a gender despite the feminine name, and is based on a character from Fringe and if you know who September is in the show you kind of see where this is going…maybe. Unfortunately, the character is very unlike September in that they are actually is meant to be the essence of Neutrality and is not a guardian in the least. If any of those creators wish for me to not use their character, they can reach out to me and I can alter characters with OCs, it would actually not change as much as you think.
> 
> My ship does not have to be your ship, I’ve just never see this particular ship and the one-shot idea wouldn’t leave me alone. It’s spawned this. Also, you may not headcanon what I headcanon, fine, but I don’t appreciate any negativity either. Constructive criticism or kindly keep you opinion and go read something more to your liking. I have long given up on catering to the whims of fandom. This isn’t to say I don’t respect other people’s opinions, I’m more than old enough to have a solid opinion and respect others, it’s just I’m also old enough to have a complete stance against bullying and other issues I’ve seen in more concerning fandoms.
> 
> One last thing. The songs are mine. I wrote them. I’m still working on actual music for them and getting to sing them, but they are mine, they are personal, and please refrain from trying to say I stole them from someone else. 
> 
> Warning: This is unbeta'd and it's 2 AM. I will fix things later. =/

A week. That’s how long they’d been in this alternate universe. How long they’ve been on the surface of a world they could never have dreamed of in their own Underground.

Yet it had only taken a day for the rest of the skeletons to judge him and his brother. Not even that for them to learn of the heats that had been induced in UnderLust and how his Papyrus and he had survived. Charm, as they had taken to calling his Papyrus, was hardly going to complain, after all, there are a number of wonders to be discovered here on the surface. Plenty of willing bodies who are either looking for the novelty of being able to say they slept with a monster or just to have the experience.

To be fair to his brother, Charm certainly lived up to his moniker, but Lust, as they had taken to calling him, couldn’t bring himself to care. He hated ‘his’ nickname. It wasn’t one he’d choose himself, but he wasn’t going to say anything until he found something more fitting either.

Admittedly, it was better than ‘Axe’ got.

He chuckled.

“Something funny, Sweets?”

Startled, Lust swung around to find himself face to face with G!Sans.

“They’re calling me Lust, but I suppose if you _axe_ some of the others it might not be so bad on this end of the spectrum, even if I feel like _persona non grata_.”

His companion, laughed. It’s the first time he’s hear genuine laughter from someone here, although he didn’t go out of his way to be around the others.

“Yeah, they’re calling me G, but my Frisk, lovely as the darling was always said gender neutral was the way to go anyway.”

“Suppose they decided your ‘bro’ Gaster Paps, is going by Aster? Or maybe Green, they seem to like colors.”

“Ha! Like they could get him to, nah, his Chara already gave him a nickname. They called him Remiel. I suppose they heard Angelic names are gender neutral in the original pronunciations and decided Paps was as good as an Angel of Mercy as they’d ever have.”

“Going on that line, ya may as well stick with G for a nick, but maybe Gabriel for the full name,” Lust commented idly. This was…surprisingly nice. A skeleton not judging him, just talking, no assumptions of anything. Heh.

“Gabriel, huh? Got some reasoning behind that one?”

“Gabriel was the Angel of Judgment. Besides, you’re clearly the only judge here capable of sense, even if you aren’t as completely _Sansational_ as some of the others.”

“Not a bad name, maybe it’ll stick, as for ‘axe’-ing the others about their names, it’s better to ask what they want to be called. This house is a mad house, but I’m pretty sure a number of us are on our way out of here no matter what the others say if only because we don’t know that we’ll ever have a way home.”

Ah. Someone finally willing to admit the uncertainty, willing to just state facts whole-heartedly and accept the words he had been so desperate to scream at the top of his damn lungs since this whole mess started. “Maybe I’ll just call the Horror Bros ‘Mars’ and ‘Jupiter’ see how they react to it.”

“If they don’t _space out_ on ya, I’d say those names are winners,” G snickered. “You’re doing pretty good at naming us. Better than the classics, swaps, and fells, at least. Any name for yourself yet?”

“Nah. Nothing fits me quite well, at least, not in the languages I’ve looked at so far.”

“So what’s your deal?” G asked.

“You’ll need to clarify that.”

“Weren’t you ever a scientist?”

“Sure, not that it means much back home. I took up a few different jobs than what the others seem to think. I was mostly a caretaker, the science didn’t matter in the end so much as my ability to help others.”

“I can respect that,” G said, tilting his head in the direction towards the door. “I wanna smoke, but it’d be rude to leave in the middle of the conversation.”

He nods. “Sure, why not. My bro probably could do with some space considering I’ve been all up in his since this mess started. Doesn’t put as much of a Pap in his step the way it does mine.”

Being outside was another thing that was new. So what if there wasn’t much in the way of trying to cure his world of their incessant heat? What did that matter by comparison to how new it was to actually be around other people and for once not worry nearly as much that someone might take advantage of Charm. The humans had rules and laws about consent that in some ways were stricter than the Underground itself and he didn’t have to spend every waking moment worried that someone might kidnap his brother and use him for their own purpose in alleviating their heat or take advantage of his constant state. If anything, humans were endlessly creative with their tools of the trade so to speak and they found themselves doing more research than anything else.

It didn’t exactly alleviate the symptoms or get rid of the excess energy, but Lust had always figured that’s what dancing and maybe even fighting were for, not that they were in short supply of sparing partners should the need arise either.

“Deep in thought there?”

“Kind of. I was thinking of how creative the humans are in terms of ways to service their needs.”

“Needs you don’t particularly have?” Gabriel asked with a smirk.

“How’d you figure that?”

“Well, you said you took up a roll more along the lines of a caretaker. Helping others falls in line with that roll, especially if you take on a sexually dominant roll and have others submissive to your care. It fills the need. Other than that it’s just energy, and from what your brother said about your job ‘dancing’ at your Grillby’s I’d say you rarely took sex as the option to use that energy.”

“Astute observation there, Sherlock, t’was well done. Indeed, it is better than any of our other housemates have surmised.”

“Aw, don’t be that way, Ace, just cause they don’t know the difference between needs and wants, don’t mean we gotta be _hard_ on ‘em.”

“Ace?”

“Asexual, term for people like you who are more about intimacy but not necessarily sexual acts, especially if they don’t really have much of an interest in sex outside of intimacy.”

“Thought you were giving me a name for a second there,” he smirked. No doubt Gabe was all sorts of trouble, but they could have fun with that. No harm, no foul, since he seemed to understand Lust in ways no one had ever bothered.

“Do you prefer the name?”

“Ya’know, I think I do, G.”

“Then that’s what I’ll call ya, sweets.”

“How do you know so much about this?”

“Ironically, my Frisk, for someone young, they knew a lot. I guess they struggled with figuring out if they were honestly male or female, but they ended up finding a whole bunch of other terms in the search and it also led to them researching things about sexuality. They talked to me about it because I was probably the only one who would listen to what they had to say about the surface, especially towards the end.”

“Seems it was pretty worth it if you can _ass_ -ess me so easily.”

G snickered. “Suppose so, but if nothing else, I can certainly appreciate your _assets_.”

“You might be the only one here then.”

“Nah,” G said between a drag of the smoke. “I’m just the only one who bothered to look past the BS you were spinning.”

Ace shrugged. “No better way to figure out who you can trust and who is a good judge than seeing how people react to a perceived image.”

“Thought that was just a human thing, honestly,” G commented.

“Eh, suppose it could be, but after a while the mask becomes as much part of the person when you spend more time pretending than not.”

G hummed thoughtfully and they let the conversation slip into a companionable silence.

It was…nice, to say the least, but honestly, Ace didn’t really expect it to last.

“The fuck are you hanging out with that freak for? Or are you looking to score?”

There it is. Ace turned to address the asshole responsible for the interruption. “I’m a lot of things, and in your opinion a harlot might be one of them, but I’m still out of your league, _Red_.”

G whistled. “Swing and a miss,” he snickered especially at Ace’s raised browbone.

“Really G?”

“Had to Ace, after all it’s not like we’re shooting for a homerun.”

“Just second base?” Ace teased, causing G to laugh.

Red glared at the their laughing figures stalking away, not that they stopped. No, his face was absolutely priceless. Ace grinned unrepentantly at G, chuckling out, “he’s such a fucking stereotype.”

“Suppose it depends on how you read him.”

“Like a _book_.”

“If that’s the case, your mind is terrifying, my friend, and I’m just as content to never know what you read from me,” G commented with an arched browbone.

Ace hummed speculatively. “You’re a more difficult read than the others. Makes you interesting, not boring, and significantly more likely to listen and understand things if we ever have those _skin deep_ conversations.”

“Sounds _touching_ , Ace, but I think we’re both good for now,” G said with a smile. It was nice having someone this open. Sure, G honestly doesn’t expect anything from this rather openly sexual version of the Sanses in the home, but it’s nice to have someone to talk to and banter with without the possibility of misinterpretation. It’s _fun_ …and it’s different from any relationship he’s ever had. This Sans is interesting in ways all their counterparts aren’t, so openly himself in ways that even the cruder versions from the more violent AUs aren’t.

“Did you want to know what I read from him?” Ace offered. It’s not like G would tell anyone and if anyone else in this damn place was eavesdropping it’s not like he was planning to share entirely new information.

“Anything personal?”

“I mean, technically it all is, but mostly I have a read for his personality. His brother is far more obvious and overstated, such a _tsundere_ character type really, it’s almost kind of sad,” Ace responded with amusement lacing his tone.

G could see where he was coming from. Edge acted…like he didn’t give a damn about anyone, he treated his brother terrible, but at the end of the day, it was obvious Edge cared because in the first weeks of arrival, Edge kept an eye on Red when he thought no one was looking, the two of them had rarely left each other’s sights in the new environment, looking out for each other and for threats, and while he threatened Red often, rarely did it seem like it would actually escalate to violence. 

“Sure. Go ahead and hit me with what ya got, Ace,” G said after a few moments of debating internally whether he should or not.

“Red’s older so he’s got a whole lot more to cover up. His subservience is more due to his need not only to survive as a child but to keep himself and his brother safe regardless of the circumstances. As long as his brother was protected, Red probably didn’t give a shit about himself. He’s so immersed in the role, that he doesn’t know how to be anything else because it’s how he _survived_. He’s not as afraid as he seems either. Despite the Resets, he’s a fighter and he proves it every damn day trying to be better, he’s got the potential to be so _good_ it actually kind of hurts to see him the way he is if only because he’s this way due to how much he cares,” Ace paused. It’s difficult to put the next bit into words, but he may as well try.

“This might sound a little strange, but for all Red’s flaws…lying isn’t one of them. He’s straight-forward in an entirely different way from any of us. I can read him because his body language tells me all I need to know about how he feels in certain situations. I can tell when he’s uncomfortable or angry, when he’s starting to feel a bit insecure or having doubts about the things that are happening. For someone who lies to survive, he’s actually very honest, only using the bare minimum to get away with lies. He honestly believes every word but he lacks the conviction behind them and it would be so easy to manipulate or take advantage of him because of that. He doesn’t want to see the good in others because it opens him up to the possibility of being hurt, of his **_brother_** getting hurt, and it isn’t a risk he’s willing to take. Ever. He needs Edge in a way that is so dependent it overshadows almost all of the elder brother’s protective natures here combined,” Ace admitted. “The worst part, is that regardless of his own insecurities, he wouldn’t care about anyone or anything else as long as he kept his brother safe and he _is_ insecure. You can see it when Edge isn’t around. Red doesn’t know what he’s doing with himself here. When he’s working on the machine, he’s irritated and annoyed because he’s wondering about the bigger picture and how this is going to affect them going back to that place. Red’s worried Edge will expect more of him, or less. Worried that his brother really will abandon him, especially if they are living in a pacifist timeline and manage to make it to the Surface. There’s millions of little things just there under the surface and it’s…compelling to look at, because he’s so violent but he cares so much.”

“That’s, uh,” G swallowed, his eye-lights pinpricks in his sockets, he probably made a comical picture of skeletal shock, but that was…a lot. More than anyone should be able to read of someone within so short a span of time. “That’s definitely some gift you’ve got there and I’m now utterly terrified of what you read from me if that’s all what you have just from the little bit of time you’ve spent in Red’s presence.”

Ace snickered. “Am I too much for you to handle?”

“…something like that.”

Somehow, that wasn’t that hard to admit, especially with Ace staring at him with what looked like intrigue. Fascinating. So much was changing in so little time it was hardly worth mentioning and yet for the first time since actually arriving here, G felt like…like maybe things wouldn’t be so bad, because Ace being here was making it all sorts of interesting and it was just his brand of chaos.

“You just might regret admitting that G,” Ace smiled as he sashayed away from the stunned skeleton.

Well. Damn if he didn’t know how to work his ever present ecto-body to his own advantage, G thought grinning. Ace was a whole new bunch of fun just waiting to be tested in these boring waters of liars and ignorant fools…and damn if G wasn’t fascinated by it too.

G could admit he might regret it…but he really didn’t think he would.

Over the next few weeks, Ace largely kept to himself, watching the others, protecting his brother from hearing whatever judgmental bullshit they wanted to spout about him, and reflecting on his own roles that are so ingrained into his being. Could he really let them make the mistakes they were heading for or should he try to step in? Even G was content to just watch, though to be fair to G and Remy, they were both from dead AUs so it’s not like they had much to go back to even if they _wanted_ to, not that anyone was asking the opinions of several of the other skeletons trapped in the house.

He blatantly ignored the others. They were being…discourteous and impolite. Who cares if they were here first? Who cares if they’re so determined to get back home they might as well be killing themselves? Well, their brothers might, but it wasn’t Ace’s job to look after people who had made their own opinions of his person perfectly clear. They didn’t even bother asking if he could help or if he knew anything they didn’t. Spoiler: of course he does, but he isn’t sharing it with them, because they’re so fucking…ugh. There aren’t even words that he feels comfortable using.

He didn’t waste time telling them about his new preferred name. His brother knew. G knew and had probably told Remiel. Besides, it wasn’t worth talking to the others who would probably keep calling him Lust just to fucking spite him.

It…kind of hurt actually, to know that there was some version or, rather, multiple versions of himself and his brother that could honestly be so fucking selfish. They cared about themselves and their brothers and maybe to some extent their worlds, but it was so fucking pitiful it was barely worth mentioning. Ace wanted to scoff thinking that any of them are versions of himself and his brother, but he could see too much of the past, too many of the possibilities in what could be, that changed all of them into the people they are and it’s a struggle to even accept that most days.

One of the biggest differences between himself and the others was he had actually tried to find that one life partner before realizing he just…didn’t feel the sexual attraction he should even dosed up on the Lust trait. So what if he had wanted someone to understand him? So what if he maybe had wanted another person to actually know him and understand him in ways apparently no one else in the underground possibly could? Maybe he was selfish too. Maybe he wanted someone who wasn’t Papyrus to be okay with who he was, not judge him, and choose him anyway. Not that it helped.

Ace clenched his fist, looking out the window. The sky was a little cloudy, but overall, the weather on the surface seemed pretty nice. It was…different, beautiful. All the same, it was still dangerous and he wasn’t willing to risk anything happening to Charm here, but he could admit that if he were a little better at helping his brother deal with this mess, he might be inclined to look for other places for them including a job and place to live.

“Thinking hard?”

Ace startled and turned to look at G. “Not in as much as I should be, I should think. Maybe thinking about things on a personal level but not about going home or whatever nonsense the others are trying to pull off.”

“You don’t think they can do it?” G asked. Sure, he’d thought much the same, but it was…strange hearing it from another skeleton when the other’s seemed so optimistic about it.

“Oh, it’s not that. They’ll certainly do something, though whether it causes a multiversal collapse, deaths, or some other consequence is beside the point. I’m just thinking about how little thought they’ve really given going back and what going back would actually mean for me,” Ace carefully worded the reply. Going back…that implies a lot of things about his role as both caretaker and judge. How much time passed? Did time pass there while they are here or does the time and space warp to suit the machine and replace them at the point of displacement?

“So that leads to that rainy attitude of yours?”

“Are you saying I can’t weather a storm?”

“Not at all,” G grinned. “Just that maybe you should get out a bit. You know, make like a tree and _leaf_ for a bit.”

Ace smiled. “Oh? And where do you propose I go?”

“Anywhere beats staying here, Ace. You’re cooping yourself up and it’s not helping you…it’s not healthy, not for you, and definitely not for me.”

“So go out, G, nothing it stopping you.”

“Nothing is stopping you either Ace, except maybe your own worries.”

“I’m allowed to not want to go out and be judged, G. I’m getting quite enough of that here, aren’t I?”

“So go to a park and find a quiet place or something, I dunno Ace, just…do something. Even Charm is getting worried. He said you’ve gone out once to look at the stars and nothing else since.”

“My head isn’t in the clouds G, I’m firmly where I need to be. I know my priorities better than anyone else and that includes my brother. I’m _fine_.”

“Then why did you look so upset before I found you?”

“Maybe because I’m upset, G. Maybe it’s because the displacement is annoying as fuck and maybe I don’t want to go home but I also don’t want to stay here. Maybe there are a lot of things I don’t want to talk about and Charm keeps pushing and now apparently put you on my case, but here’s the thing, I don’t want or need help. I know what my issues are and I have them handled, I’ve been writing and doing all the things that are considered good coping mechanisms,” Ace huffed out, losing the steam of his anger midway through into the depressing truth buried deep inside.

“Then why are you still so upset?” G prodded.

Ace sighed. “C’mon. I’m not doing this here.”

Ace grabbed G and shortcutted to a clearing he had found during one of his night walks that he never let the others see. “I’m upset about a lot of things G. Charm might think it all started here, but it’s been going on so long I’m surprised he hasn’t even noticed. Or maybe he has and is just too polite to bother bringing it up. I…tried dating back home and it had its own issues. It’s a storm I didn’t really escape unscathed.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Ace shook his head sitting down on the grass, pulling G with him. “I don’t think I can, that’s why I’ve been writing. I’ve been pouring all my frustration and anger into songs and just…I don’t think I have it in me to give too much of a damn about people who only seem to care about themselves. People who don’t think about how what they do affect others. Not anymore…”

“Not anymore?” G repeated. “What do you…?”

Ace let himself lay back and began singing one of the songs he wrote. Maybe with this G would understand.

“A million little things got me here

A broken heart, unshed tears

But I guess if I’m honest

It was you

You broke my heart

Tore my world all apart

Tried to take away all that we had built

You tossed me aside

Told others pretty lies

Left me to myself

And all I could think

Was, baby why’d you leave

Truth is I don’t want to care

If you don’t want to be there

And how dare you say

It’s all my fault

When you were the one who left me first

You were the one

Who gave up everything

And everyone we’ve ever known

Now they’re on my side not yours

Does it burn?

Does it hurt?

Do you regret the things you said to me?

All the lies you told

All the hate you gave

Do they bring you shame?

It took me a while, but then it stuck

You used me till you were done

And when you come back to me someday

I can tell you

I don’t love you anymore

I don’t care if you’re not there

I don’t need you here at all…

How’s it feel?

It’s all your fault.

You’re not the same person I fell for

I don’t need you anymore

Does it burn?

Does it hurt?

Do you wanna know why?

Like I did all those years ago

Chase answers

You already know

It’s all on you!

Time’s not on your side~!

And I am alright~!

I don’t hurt,

There’s no pain,

I don’t care,

Even when I hear your name

I’m not the same!

Suck it up, you broke my heart

I don’t care if you fall apart

You did this to yourself…

Welcome to what once was my own hell.”

Ace fell silent and let it settle between them. G’s mind whirled in disdain. How could anyone take that much advantage of a person? Much less of someone who clearly cared so much that his ability to analyze and take care of others was probably unmatched by anyone else?

“I’m…sorry.” G said after a long while.

Ace could feel himself smile a little. “Why are you sorry? It’s not like it’s your fault.”

“Yeah, but I made you admit something personal when I knew you might not be ready to share anything and for some damn reason it seems like you trust me with at least that,” G grimaced. He felt a bit guilty.

“You could always level the playing field.”

“Yeah. I suppose I could, couldn’t I?” G mumbled as he wracked his brain for an answer. Well…maybe he could. He sighed and began to sing his own song, leveling the playing field for personal exchange.

“Lillies and cyclamens gathered beneath

The willow tree

I see a ghost of you there

And I wonder if this is what life had planned out

When it was just you and I

What must you have felt?

I can hear my name on your lips

Just like it was yesterday

But you’ve been gone so long

It’d be a shame if I never say

I loved you

Longed to hold you

Miss you, as time passes by…

But I wouldn’t rewind.

It’s not that I’m moving on

Or stopped loving you

I just found someone

Who understands wanting someone there

It’s not goodbye

This won’t be the last time I’m here

Baby, I’m fine

Just like you promised

But let me be clear…

I’m going to love the way you taught me

I’m going to be who you said I could be

I’m going to live and breathe

See the world around me

Just like you wanted me to

I’m keeping the promise I made

Living on after you’re gone

And every now and then when I look at the sky

I see the stars and remember our talks late at night

I promise

I promise

I promise to you

I’ll see things through

Even if I can’t do them with you

I still love you

I need you

I wish you could stay

Why won’t you stay?!

Why can’t you…live?

Why can’t I take your place?

And every second I don’t move on

Something just might go wrong

But now there’s someone else

And I’m feeling more like myself

So I’ll hold on to the memories

Of promises of stars

I’ll hold onto the memories

Of days and nights spent with you…

Lillies and cyclamens gathered beneath

The willow tree

I see a ghost of you there

I miss you, as time passes by…

But I wouldn’t rewind.

It’s not that I’m moving on

Or stopped loving you

I just found someone

Who understands wanting someone there

It’s not goodbye

Baby, I’m fine

Just like you promised

But let me be clear…

I’m going to love the way you taught me

I’m going to be who you said I could be

I’m going to live and breathe

See the world around me

Just like you wanted me to

I’m keeping the promise I made

Living on after you’re gone

And every now and then when I look at the sky

I see the stars and remember our talks late at night

I promise

I promise

I promise to you

I’ll see things through

Even if I can’t do them with you

I’ll keep holding on.”

Ace hummed softly as G finished. “I suppose we both just have shitty luck.”

G barked out a laugh, not expecting that response, but maybe he should have. “Something like that, Ace, something like that. Ready to head back?”

“Yeah…”

Maybe Ace wasn’t ready to talk to the others, but at least with G he could feel some sort of bond. He could tell the other was at least trying to understand him the same as Ace wanted to know G. It was a mutual respect, despite their supposedly enigmatic and eccentric behaviors.

The thing about time is that you have to care about it to mark its passing. Ace didn’t particularly care in the least and it’s not like he cared enough to talk to the others about it to know the dates either. Really, Ace kept track based on their progress in the machine that he still wasn’t helping with. Well, that and the mishaps for things turning on and off, the electric outages, and the power surges. He could honestly almost predict them by the time the next mishap happened.

Almost, but not quite.

Not that any of them were expecting another group of skeletons to appear. Let alone the devastation left in their wake and the attempts at fighting that were occurring.

“Enough.” Ace let his voice ring through the chaos as he forcefully used his own magic for the first time on the other skeletons, separating them and shoving them away from each other. “You’re causing trouble and if you continue you might destroy the only hope you have of getting wherever the hell it is you came from. You’re battle isn’t here and if it hurts my brother… **y o u ’ r e i n f o r a b a d t i m e**.”

Ace was utterly done with the bullshit, he didn’t care about where they were from, what they were doing, or what they wanted. He just wanted them gone, but apparently, two of them were guardians in the multiverse. Two of them were capable of teleporting between AUs and neither of them could. He wondered if it was a side effect of the machine. Or maybe if their magic was temporarily destabilized due to their own displacement and would at a later time be of use.

Ace had plenty of questions, but he didn’t really care if he got the answers, or any answers for that matter. He just did what he had become used to doing in this creator forsaken universe and watched and listened to the stories of the new skeletons. He may have barely paid any attention to anything but their names and histories, but he still got more than the others…after all, the others could barely tell one lie from another, let alone read between the lines enough to know what they weren’t saying.

Overall, the meeting was unsurprising, all things considered. The machine malfunctioning was causing more fucking problems than Ace was convinced the Multiverse knew how to handle, but it was also solving some for the more troubled skeletons, even if the ones determined to go back can’t see that.

Nightmare was leaning against a wall, ignoring everyone, absolutely pissed at having been denied the chance to defeat Dream. Ace of Chancetale was sitting on the staircase, watching everything, with his back against the wall so he was angled a bit awkwardly. Dream had looked at his brother and his hand had twitched looking like he wanted to reach out before deciding against it and sitting on the floor near the couch where Blue, Stretch, Black, and Mutt were located. The Watcher was leaning against the wall by the window, seemingly entirely unconcerned by being brought to an AU where everything was messed up and coexisting because of a faulty machine.

‘His’ neutrality could be read a few ways. Including that this is the path the AU is meant to take and his noninterference is to ensure that whatever is meant to happen, happens.

“Do they not know Ace?” Anselma asked, entirely unsurprised by the looks traded around the room. “Or are you quite content to let them send you back without knowing? Have they even dared to allow you to assist them?”

“Chance perhaps you would like to assist me in this explanation,” Ace arched a browbone, “though Anselma, I’d remind you, I neither asked nor wished your assistance. As for assisting them, they’ve been quite content to leave me be.”

“Of course not.” Anselma’s scoff was mocking. Really Ace felt the need to give him a better name, but no other would do quite so well for a watcher who ensured both chaos and balance in a timeline so that whatever effect had equal and opposite effects altogether. More than disquieting, it was perhaps better said to be unsettling.

“Assistance Ace? I honestly can’t believe you chose that name…”

“Now, now, just because your brother was insufferable and your world apparently had no care to look after its own does not make a name vile. Besides, you’ve a _chance_ to get over it.”

Chance snickered and shrugged. “If you wanna do this it’s your choice, but I don’t see why you need an assist.”

“You’ll see in a moment. Watcher, what is the primary source of data they require to fix the machine and send us back to our own universes?” Ace asked

“WATCH data of course, data that you could have used to free your Underground long ago, had you decided to do so.”

“Watch data?”

“No, Red, WATCH data, as in Wavelength Analysis and Technical Chronological Hyperspace data,” Ace corrected. “I am a version of you scientists after all.”

“You never really shared that, did you?” Red scowled.

“No, I didn’t, and you never asked or felt comfortable talking to me because you were all busy judging me and trying to keep me away from your siblings. You don’t know anything about me, let alone have the right _to_ **JUDGE** me,” Ace commented, idly looking at his phalanges like they held some kind of magical answer to get him out of this conversation.

Red looked ready to yell, but Edge stepped in. “WELL, YOU ARE TALKING NOW, AREN’T YOU? YOU SAID THEY AREN’T IN A POSITION TO JUDGE YOU, WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO JUDGE THEM?”

“Oh, edgy-boy, you silly little upstart, you think you’re so dangerous, so in control of yourself, but really, you’re terrified that if you let yourself lose control you’ll hurt your brother again. You’re hardly in a position to judge me either. My brother, I protected as best I could when those incompetent morons released an untested compound on the masses of the Underground without prior testing. I’m a protector, not a warrior, the only reason I _was_ a **_judge_** is because of all the people left in our fucking mess of a place, I at least still have my logic, I can still reason.”

Stretch frowned. “If you aren’t a judge, what are you now?”

“I’m the caretaker, doll.” Ace grinned viciously. “I’m still a judge, I just also happen to be the _executioner_ in case people take things too far.”

“The Watcher said, you could use what you know to free your Underground,” Classic frowned. “Why haven’t you?”

“Let me repeat myself. I. Am. The. Caretaker. That means more than just a role as a scientist or even the judge and executioner. It means I take care of all the people in the Underground and I protect them not just from each other, but from themselves and any potential threats. Humans are a threat in the continued delicate state of my people as there is no current cure for the ongoing heats of the monsters. There are those who would take advantage, use that and harm the people. As Caretaker, I cannot and absolutely refuse to put the people in that position, regardless of what the King or any of the others think will be for the good of our people,” Ace frowned, not looking at any of them. “If I’m honest, I’m concerned about the food rations and state of the various cities, but we’re not quite on the brink of a food shortage…yet.”

It hit Stretch the hardest, because _Ace wasn’t lying_. His people were already in a vulnerable state due to the heats, but if they made it to the surface? There’s no telling what would happen. The food shortage was just the tip of an iceberg that looked like it might be taking out Ace’s entire home, but he couldn’t even do anything unless he could get rid of the heat issue.

“If food shortage is an issue, shouldn’t your priority be getting everyone out, being a Caretaker and all?” Red muttered petulantly.

“No. Just because I know what _that_ guy fucked up, doesn’t mean, I actually have the means to do it myself, let alone without assistance. Assistance I can’t get because everyone is so preoccupied by the heat situation it barely makes the list and with the heats being what they are, anyone I could ask for assistance is unavailable to do so, which I cannot bring up to the Royals myself without significant backlash to myself and thereby putting my brother at risk. It’s unfortunate, but I know the reality of the world where I live. While most of you may wish to go back, because you have lives to get back to, you fail to think of what that could also mean for those of us from places of risk, I bet Red and Edge haven’t even fully thought of the consequences so set on getting back to the place they feel like they belong, though the brat-lord and his mutt, certainly have,” Ace pointed out, frustrated, both by their lack of understanding and by their inadvisable plan to do what they wish without actually thinking of the consequences.

“I’m not sure what you need assistance with, you seem to have this pretty handled on your own,” Chance amusedly commented.

“For this,” Ace raised a browbone challengingly. “What are the odds of the machine working in an ongoing functional manner?”

“32.6%.”

“The odds of a safe return home for each and every member?”

“12.8%.”

“Chance of death for those of us from the harsher worlds?”

“Clarify,” Chance speculated. “There’s too much probability and between what could be meant.”

“Edge and Red.”

“95.6%”

“Jupiter and Mars.”

“100%”

“Black and Mutt.”

“97%.”

“What!?” Blue swung himself around to look at the counterpart most similar to himself, Black looking away as though he had nothing to say, Mutt determinedly staring at the ground himself. “What does that mean? Is this why you two aren’t helping?”

“Of course we’re not going to help,” Black scoffed. “You really think going back will be that simple? Particularly from as violent a world as we’re from? Assuming we even make it back unscathed, who knows how much time has passed, and I don’t know about your world, but I’ll be put on trial and most likely executed, as will my brother. Dereliction of duty, abandoning posts, unaccounted for absences and such, all of which if weren’t enough to get me killed as a traitor, most certainly would put us on the streets.”

“Ace?” Blue looked at him uncertainly.

Ace sighed wearily. “I’m the executioner, but I’m not above the law, neither are Black and Rus, above the laws of their home, and if Red and Edge go back, I’ve no doubt they face much the same. You can’t change worlds to be what you want them to be, damn if life wouldn’t be easier if you could.”

“Ink would disagree,” Watcher muttered.

“My point,” Ace stressed, “is that knowledge isn’t enough in this instance. Just because I studied the barrier and understand what it needs to break it, doesn’t mean I can do it. Just like I theoretically know how to get us all back to our universes using the same knowledge. It doesn’t actually mean anything and there are some here who may not even have a home to go back to considering what Gabe and Remy have told me about where they are from. You’re so eager to sentence us all to an uncertain future when we can actually focus on building one here that I don’t know why I’m the one trying to reason with you. In fact, I much preferred being ignored.”

Ace couldn’t breathe. It was too much, too much, too….

G pulled Ace into his arms and softly reminded him to try and match his breathing patterns.

It’s so easy.

Ace can….he can…he can’t. Without thinking about it he wrapped himself around G and teleported them both away from the house to the stupid forest clearing. He couldn’t be around them. He couldn’t. They hated everything about him, and he just…why? It wasn’t fucking fair.

For the first time since they arrived in this fucked up universe Ace cried and let himself slump into G’s arms as they slowly sank to the floor.

This was a mess he’d worry about tomorrow.

Back at the home, Charm stared at the other skeletons with an unimpressed look, directing a particularly disappointed look at Anselma. “YOU COULD HAVE ASKED ME INSTEAD OF PUSHING MY BROTHER, WATCHER.”

“He was keeping secrets and I wanted to know what he would do if pushed. Besides, maybe G and him will stop dancing around whatever they are,” Anselma said with an uncaring shrug.

“WHY WOULD ASKING YOU HAVE WORKED, CHARM?” Blue asked, seeing the other skeletons shifting under Charm’s stare guiltily.

“BECAUSE MY BROTHER WAS TEACHING ME. HE WANTED ME TO UNDERSTAND HIS THEORIES AND WHY WATCH DATA WAS IMPORTANT, EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW IT WAS MY DREAM TO BE PART OF THE ROYAL HAREM. HE INSISTED THIS WAS MORE IMPORTANT AND I GUESS NOW I KNOW WHY,” Charm answered with a shrug.

“I don’t think we can take too many more shocks, could you explain?” Remiel asked, knowing the others were far too likely to cause an issue.

“MY BROTHER EXPLAINED IT AS EVERYTHING GIVING OFF ITS’ OWN WAVELENGTH. HE SAID THAT ALL MAGIC IS INDIVIDUAL, UNIQUE TO THE CASTER BUT STILL SIMILAR TO OTHERS OF THE SAME SPECIES OR TYPE OF MAGIC. HE INSISTS THAT ONCE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND AND READ WAVELENGTH THE REST IS A MATTER OF TRYING TO MATCH AND OVERPOWER IT, WHICH IS WHY HE ALSO BELIEVES THERE MAY BE A WAY TO CURE OUR PEOPLE OF THE HEAT, BUT HE IS SO BUSY AS CARETAKER AND AS A DANCER THAT I BELIEVE HE’S LET THE PROJECT FALL TO THE BACKGROUND SINCE THERE IS NO SAFE WAY TO TEST THE THEORY EITHER.”

Charm didn’t bother stopping, just continued his explanation. He wanted to be done. He wanted his brother. “ASSUMING YOU CAN ISOLATE THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF MAGIC, IN THEORY YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO BREAK IT DOWN TO THE BASE COMPONENTS AND WAVELENGTHS AND THEN REPLICATE IT, BUT HE ALSO RELATED IT TO THE THEORY OF MULTIPLE UNVERSES WHEN WE FIRST ARRIVED. HE TOLD ME HE REFUSED TO WORK WITH YOU BUT IF YOU ASKED HE’D BRING IT UP SINCE THE FUN VALUES, OR FUNCTIONAL UNIVERSE NUMBER VALUES, SHOULD ALSO APPLY IN THIS CASE. WE MAY ALL BE ALTERNATES OF EACH OTHER, BUT EVEN OUR MAGIC IS JUST SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ENOUGH YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO ISOLATE THAT VALUE AND USE THAT TO RECONFIGURE THE MACHINE TO SEND EVERYONE BACK TO A SPECIFIC TIMELINE WITHOUT DISRUPTING ANYTHING.”

“HOWEVER, KNOWING THAT VALUE DOES NOT HELP ESTABLISH A TIME FACTOR, WHICH I BELIEVE WATCHER COULD HELP WITH IF THEY WERE SO INCLINED,” Charm admitted. “I’M GOING TO BED. I BELIEVE THIS HAS BEEN ENOUGH FOR TONIGHT.”

Charm stood and paid no attention to the other skeletons. He wanted his brother, but who knew when his brother would be home. The damn Caretaker in him was still at work, even here. Even now, so far away from home and their universe, he was still trying to take care of the people around him and at this point Charm didn’t know if his brother could even turn that part of him off. It was too much a part of his identity and as much as it scared him, it was reassuring in its own right, because it meant he’d be back. Ace couldn’t really leave without him and would be back to reassure him.

That was all that mattered as Charm bundled himself into the nest his brother had made for him as he pulled the blankets over himself tightly for comfort.

At least they still smelled of his brother.

G kept a tight hold of Ace as he sobbed into his chest. Ace had been strong. Stronger than G had actually thought with all the recent revelations, but it was of little comfort since he was clearly at his breaking point. It hurt to watch Ace just fall apart.

He did the only thing he could think of and sang.

“I don’t know if you’ll go where I go

I don’t know if you’ll follow where I lead

I don’t know if you know

But I~ do…

I have faith in what we believe

Take a look at the world around us

Tell me what you see

Cause I don’t know what you see

But when you look at me

Suddenly I can’t breathe…

Look at what you’ve done

Turned my world upside down

I wouldn’t undo it if I could

Cause I love when you are around

You changed my heart and my mind

I don’t feel lost all of the time

Changed me so completely

And you don’t know…

You don’t know

When I look at you

I feel like I can start again

When I see your smile

I can’t hold mine in

And the words you say

Reach deeper than anyone else’s ever could

Cause somehow you~ saw me

And you make me believe

That things can change…

Deep down I know…they won’t ever be the same…

But looking back at the start

Seeing where we are now

Look how far we’ve come

And all the damage we’ve undone

You make me believe in things

I never knew I could before…”

Ace felt calm. G’s singing was…nice. Different, but good in a way he hadn’t let himself feel in so long. Like, maybe, just maybe, there was a person here he could be with that wanted him around. Like maybe he, they, could actually belong here in this world where they’ve faced nothing but uncertainty and doubts. He happily hummed his own tune to the song, and when G finally stopped, Ace picked up.

“Every day, feels like a brand new start

When I’m with you, it’s like looking in a mirror

If you’re my sun, I’m your moon

We’ll both shine through…

But I’m so happy, when I’m with you

Don’t need to cry from being lied to

And I don’t want to change

Anything about who you are

Cause when you looked at me

Somehow you saw through my every disguise

And you make me believe

That things can change…

Deep down I know…they won’t ever be the same…

But looking back at the start

Seeing where we are now

Look how far we’ve come

And all the damage we’ve undone

You make me believe in things

I never knew I could before…

All I know now is that I want something with you

And I’ve never wanted anything more.”

G smiled and kept the song going.

“You make me smile when it’s raining

It’s like all the clouds in the sky disappear

And there’s nothing to say to you…”

Somehow, they both managed to sing the last bit together, smiling.

“Cause you smile back at me

And I’m just so grateful you’re here

With me…”

In this moment of peace, Ace could feel things changing. Something was coming, but with all these people around them working together, maybe things could be okay. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to everyone who made it this far! Yes, I ended it there. Not because I don’t think there isn’t more or that it wouldn’t be fun to continue, but I’m a college student. I’m in four classes and trying not to die from overworking myself. It’s been…a fun experiment, but I probably won’t repeat it as you can tell by my lack of creating a surface universe of my own where the Skellies are living.
> 
> Having said that, it’s time to do what my generation and many fellow college students do when leaving something we know we’ll probably regret, and saying, “Fuck this shit I’m out~!”
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this!


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